Everybody gains
by Darth Mongoose
Summary: A fun 'one year later' type FF8 adventure. As simple as that.


Everybody Gains

By Darth Mongoose (Kate Holden)

This FF8 fic will start off warm, fuzzy and upbeat and get more serious, but never too serious because a good FF8 fic generally requires a bit of lightness even at the worst of times, just like the game. I hope you enjoy this. Oh yeah, this contains little or no SeiferxQuistis, it just seems a little like it this chapter, I actually hate 'Quifers', it does contain SeiferxFujin though, because Seifu's are much more believable and oh-so-cute. All the other pairings, for those of you who are 'parings otakus' are the ones you'd expect in a fanfic (I'll write a SquallxSelphie someday, but this is a simple time filler fic.)

All characters and places are from Square Enix material and are copyright to them, this is a free public fanfiction, not for sale or rent.

Chapter 1: Big Sister Quistis.

Selphie Tilmitt, SeeD level 25, age 18 years, height 5'1(and a half)", She ran the information though her head as she read it, her statistics, Father: Unknown (Deceased?), Mother: Unknown(Deceased?) Origin: Unknown, Race: Unknown....Too many 'unknowns' she disliked that. At least she had a name to herself, but what if that wasn't her original name? She sighed, and shook herself out of this uncharacteristic mood, folding the piece of paper and putting it in the front pocket of the dungerees she was wearing. A little time in the quad practicing with her guitar would cheer her up, and then, when she played her song to everybody else, it'd cheer them up, and then their happiness would make her all the happier. This thought put her in a brighter mood. Whoever her parents were, she was sure they would be proud of her.

The sound of soft guitar notes were already humming in the quad, random notes, not following a tune. Rinoa was lying on her front, her fingers brushing over the strings of an unplugged electric guitar that was sitting ready to play. Her chin was on the floor.

"Morning Rin!"

"Hmm? Sorry."

"Haven't seen you this bummed since they rearranged the library." The rearrangement of the library so that reference books were more accessible had not only meant that Rinoa had briefly been unable to find her way around it as easily but that she had been forced to give back all the books she had borrowed. Loans were now limited to two at a time, which she thought was very unfair on book lovers like herself.

"I can't sing." She replied, rather flatly.

Selphie stopped herself from saying, 'I know'. She and Quistis were already aware that Rinoa couldn't sing due to a terrible night of Karaoke some months back. Even Quistis, who claimed a lack of musical aptitude and who had been fairly drunk at the time was better than Rinoa.

"You can do other things though!" Selphie put a hand on Rinoa's shoulder and sat down.

"I can't think of anything." Rinoa twanged the guitar again. "Mummy could sing beautifully, I can't even play any instruments, and I can't draw or paint or make models or anything."

"You can dance." Said Selphie brightly, "And you're really good at talking to people, even Squall!" Selphie swung the guitar onto her lap and began to play a sweet little melody that lightened the mood.

"But I want to be able to do something creative." Rinoa sat up, "You can do lots of creative stuff, I want to make things for Squall!"

"Can you cook? Most SeeDs can't cook. I can't." She laughed in her usual irresistably funny little way, somewhere in between a giggle and a chuckle.

"I used to make simple things back at base in Timber. I lost all my recepie books when it got blown up."

"I betcha there's cookery books in the library! Why don't you make Squall something nice to eat?"

Rinoa smiled.

"It's worth a try! Thanks Sefie!"

"No problem." Selphie grinned and plugged the guitar into the amp, chuckling wickedly as she switched it on and spun the volume control up, then she began to jam violently, a fast rock tempo with uplifting chords.

"Thanks again!" Rinoa shouted over the music as she left the Quad.

Outside she found Quistis coming the other way.

"I was going to ask if Selphie was in there, but I can hear her from here!" Shouted the instructor over the sound.

Rinoa responed with a brief smile before carrying on twords the Library, she was walking with her, 'I'm set on this, don't try and stop me look' which Squall confessed that he loved, despite how much trouble she had got him into a year ago every time she wore that expression and walked with those long straight strides.

The sound of the small SeeD's guitar echoed through the halls of the Garden. Some of the students could be seen nodding their heads to it. It was a fairly everyday occurance now, some of the older staff dissaproved, but Cid and Squall both enjoyed it so Selphie's daily sessions were to remain part of daily life at Balamb Garden.

Quistis had to shout several times and tap Selphie on the shoulder to get her attention. The younger girl grinned aplogetically.

"Heya Quis." She lifted off the guitar strap and put the instrument down gently.

"Have you found any band members?"

"Not yet, but there's some new students coming from Trabia for their exams. My best friend too!"

"I thought I was your best friend!" Quistis put on a mock whining tone and pouted like a moody child with her hands on her hips.

"Nope! You're something better! You're my adopted big sis!" Selphie grinned widely.

"That doesn't sound better than 'best friend' to me. And since when did you 'adopt' me?" 

"Well, I've been trying to remember stuff, and every time I remember something from when I was little about you, it's always you looking after me, and since neither of us has a real family...well...So I adopted you!"

"I see. And have you adopted Rinoa yet?"

"Yep! She's my little sis!"

Quistis frowned. And looked down at Selphie. Rinoa wasn't particularly tall, but Selphie was unusually petite and had the same enthusiasm, energy and unbending moral values that are normally found exclusively in young children.

"...Your 'little' sis?"

"She's younger than me!" Selphie sounded a little insulted, "Three months and fourteen days younger! Don't you remember our birthdays!?"

"Erm, well...no. Not off the top of my head." Quistis flushed, remembering dates was something she relied on a calendar for. "Does this mean that I have to be Rinoa's older sister too?"

"You're not already?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Weeeelll, who was it who got her into Garden then sorted out her paperwork? Found her a room to sleep in? Got her a uniform and still tutors her when she's stuck with homework? Who is it who backed her up on the whole 'Library rearrangement' argument? Hmmm....?" Selphie's large green eyes seemed to stare right through Quistis. Selphie was cheerful, that was true, but behind that impish little face and innocent eyes lay a fierce intellect that almost rivalled that of the young instructor and a perceptiveness that sometimes surpassed her own.

"I'm an instructor, it's my job." She said, without much conviction.

"It's your job to teach, not to look after people. You only teach one class with Rinoa in it."

"Well, alright, maybe I do help her a little from time to time. I mean, we were SeeDs from when we were very young, but Rinoa doesn't have that kind of background and..." She trailed off, realising it was hopeless.

"Haha! Quissy! You're so serious! I think it's nice that you've made Rinoa part of the family!"

Quistis smiled and laughed to herself. She barely noticed that had Squall entered the Quad and when she did suddenly wondered how much he'd heard of her being outsmarted by Selphie.

"Good morning." He said, in his usual quiet way.

"Heya Squall!" Selphie waved frantically.

"What's going on?"

"I seem to have aquired a very noisy little sister...No wait, one very noisy little sister, and another one who's just difficult to keep tabs on."

"Hey! Who's noisy!?"

"I'm sorry?" Squall looked at her curiously with his sharp grey blue eyes. His small, slightly pouty mouth twitched up at the corners for just a second. Squall's smiles were becoming more common these days.

"Selphie and Rinoa have 'adopted' me." She said flatly. "I'm now their big sister...If I wasn't already."

"I see. I hope I'm not your little brother."

"What do you mean by that!?"

"-Not because you're not a good big sister. It's just that it'd make me and Rinoa's relationship awkward."

"Eeeep. I'd never thought of that!" Selphie pulled a face.

"Have you ever tried to find out if you have any real brothers or sisters? Or who your parents were?"

"You're lucky Squall, you found your Dad by chance! AND It's the coolest guy in the universe! Sir Laguna!"

"He's not that 'cool'. But it was lucky to find my past by accident."

"Maybe I should go and find out." Mused Quistis.

"Yeah! We could fly to Edea's house in the Ragnarock! She might know something about when and where we came from!"

"You could come too Squall."

"I can't. I have paperwork." He scowled. Squall despised paperwork. And this new lot would take a month, maybe more, how he had gotten himself tangled up in Timber's independence negotiations with Galbadia was a mystery to him now. But he had to follow through, and that meant paperwork.

"Shame. Let's go Selphie!" Occasionally Quistis could show a lightness of spirit that showed that she was still only nineteen years old despite her high status.

"Have a safe trip." Squall patted Selphie on the head, because he was aware of the fact that it annoyed her slightly.

"Grrr! Squall! I'm older than you!"

"You're older than Squall too?" Quistis asked as they left the Quad.

"One month and twenty seven days."

"What about Zell?"

"Nobody knows Zell's real birthday remember? We say he's a year older on new year's day and we used to give him presents and a party at midsummer sometime. Irvy's the same."

"Then what about us? How come just us two and Squall have birthdays?"

"Well, Squall's obvious, he arrived at the orphanage with Sis and she knew his birthday. As for us, Irvy told me from what he remembers that Matron said you came to the orphanage knowing your name and your birthday already, not your second name, Matron made that up, but you really are called Quistis. As for me, Irvy wasn't sure, but I think I must have come with information on me, some kids did have stuff like name tags on them, but I don't know if Selphie Tilmitt is my real name or not."

"So 'Trepe' was a name Matron gave me? I could be anybody!"

"Squall's real name is Loire, not Leonhart, so yeah, we could be the same."

"That's a little frightening."

They reached the end of the corridor and stared at the gleaming red Ragnarock.

"Ready Quis?"

"Of course! I'm not going back now."

----

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Garden, Irvine was practicing quickdraw moves. Seeing how quickly he could take down a Grat when his gun was holstered, or in the wrong hand, or on the floor, or his favourite, whether he could spot a Grat, throw the shotgun in the air, catch it and dispatch the monster before he was attacked.

He took down the plant beast and chuckled to himself.

"Hah!" Said a voice behind him, "That's wussy fighting!" It was Zell.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah! What would you have done if you hadn't caught that thing? Or if it stopped working? You'd have been totally stuck man!"

"I don't drop my gun Zell." Stated Irvine.

Before the sharp shooter knew what was happening, his gun was knocked from his fingers and he had been thrown onto his back.

"Never stand around with your back to a guy. Always keep your eye on your weapon."

"That wasn't fair! When you're in my sights, not behind me, you won't be so cocky." Irvine dived for his gun, but the nimble fist fighter was much faster than the lanky gunman and kicked it up into his hands, swinging it onto his shoulder and posing. Irvine lunged forward, but Zell dodged easily.

"You're pretty stuck without your boom stick aren't ya?" He threw the silver shotgun and caught it behind his back.

"What's the point of this?" sighed Irvine.

"I was thinking." Zell tossed the gun back, "I could teach you how to fight like a real man. You know, without a weapon, hand to hand."

"You want something in return from me, don't you?" Said Irvine, staring down at the SeeD, who was much shorter than he was.

"Erm....Well..."

"Girl trouble?"

Zell turned bright red and there was a pause.

"She likes me...but she thinks I should get in touch with my 'femenine side." He said at length. "And since you're the girliest guy I know, I figured you could teach me how to think like girls do!"

"You do lack tact, it has to be said. But then, learning to be a macho man might be fun. I could show off my muscles to Sefie." Irvine chuckled to himself. " Sure, why not? You can start by teaching me that gun stealing trick."

Squall called into the training centre a little later to find Irvine, stripped of his long coat and baggy chaps so he was wearing just simple black trousers and his purple shirt, going through fist fighting maneuvers with Zell. He shrugged and passed on the news that Selphie and Quistis had gone on a short break. Irvine said something about becoming 'macho' which he didn't understand at all.

---

Another meanwhile, this one in Balamb town. Outside it was a warm day with a cool breeze from the sea, Seifer pitied the poor fools who were working indoors on a day like this. Of course, he would be one too, once his reapplication to Garden had gone through. Apparently his reconsideration was almost entirely due to Quistis Trepe of all people. It seemed as if he and the young instructor had always jarred against each other for as far back as his splintered memories went. They were both strong minded and stubborn, but Quistis craved order and discipline, while Seifer thrived on chaos. But after having been used by Ultimicia and losing control of his own mind and body, a year on he found himself feeling need for routine and some kind of structure to his life. Squall had been unsure, he disliked Seifer, and with good reason, he couldn't be blamed, but even Cid had had doubts about letting the former enemy back into Balamb. But then somehow Quistis had pushed her way into the process and using that level headed logic that she had always possessed had convinced them to let him in. Seifer smiled, she'd be smug wouldn't she? She'd saved his butt...again, she'd never let him forget it either, he could already see her, smiling at him triumphantly with her bright blue eyes looking at him over the top of those little round reading glasses she wore. But for now, he could just enjoy the sound of the Balamb sea sitting on the pier. Raijin was off buying their dinner, and Fujin...

Seifer looked to his left, Fujin was normally quiet unless asked a direct question, but her breathing seemed to be deeper than usual. She was alseep. Lying curled on Seifer's coat. Her petite body was not tense as it was when she was awake and her face had relaxed too, surrounded by slightly ruffled grey hair giving her a softer look even with the eyepatch. Fujin was actually quite pretty, Seifer realised he barely knew a thing about her. He was aware than Fujin couldn't be her real name, and guessed that it was something to do with her talent for aero magic, just as Raijin was named for his apparent immunity to lightning. He had never wanted to ask why she had an eyepatch, or why for that matter, she spoke by barking single words out when he knew she was perfectly capable of normal speech. He decided that his project from now until he got back to Garden would be to discover more about her, it would keep his mind off that imagined image of Quistis Trepe smirking at him.

-Thanks for reading this chapter. Now please click the 'review' button type thing and tell me what you thought of it!


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